Book-rest



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. GUNN, OF BURLINGTON, NEIV JERSEY.

BOOK-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,113, dated February2, 1897'. Application filed March 8, 1894. Renewed October 19, 1896xSerial No. 609,367. (No model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. GUNN, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county ofBurlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Book-Rests 3 and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The objects of my invention are, iirst, to provide an automaticadjustable book-rest by means of which a book can be adjusted to anyangle of incline to facilitate writing in or reading it; second, toprevent the book from slipping or falling oif `the desk or support uponwhich it rests,notwithstandin g the angle of incline, thereby doing awaywith the necessity of watchin g or making any effort to keep it inposition and from slipping or falling off; third, to automatically causeany book to lie open fiat, keeping both pages level with each other, andthus providing an even surface towork upon; fourth, by means of theseadjustable features avoiding the necessity of working in anuncomfortable or cramped position and thereby contracting the chest andinjuring the spine in the manner usual with those engaged in theoccupation of keeping books.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my improvedbook-rest. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the book in position.

A is a base-board, made of wood, metal, or any other material, uponwhich rests a pillow or cushion B, capable of being inflated by means ofa pump or blowpipe connecting with the tube b. This cushion is providedaround its edge with a rigid strip or border O,

preferably of vulcanized rubber, having rings or eyes a arranged on italong the sides of the cushion at convenient intervals. The saidbase-board has similar rings or eyes a' are ranged correspondingly. Acord D is laced through these eyes or rings a a', as shown, for securingthe said cushion to the said baseboard. By loosening or tightening thiscord I provide for the lowering or raising of this cushion. After it isinflated the book is placed on it for reading or writing.

I will now proceed to describe the means I `have adapted for holding thebook to the cushion B. Oemented or otherwise secured to the cushion B ateach end are iiaps B', having eyeholes b', which are adapted tothumbscrews c, fixed at suitable positions on the cushion B. These iiapsB are adapted to be folded down on the covers of the book, as shown inFig. 3, and held in position by the thumb-screws c.

I do not limit myself tothe abovespecified means of holding the book tothe cushion, as any equivalent means may be used without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, nor do I limit myself to the mannerdescribed of attaching or holding the cushion to the base-board.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a base-board with an air-cushion and adjustableconnections between the edges of the said cushion and the -saidbase-board, the whole constituting an adsubstantially as set forth.

3. In a book-rest the combination of the in,` iiated cushion B flaps B'with the base-board A rings a and a' and -cords D substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE C. GUNN. Witnesses:

ALLEN H. GANGEWER, F. P. F. RANDOLPH.

